Family
by ClementineTWDG
Summary: What if Clementine's parents didn't die? How would it affect the story? Will they ever see their daughter again, or will the be claimed by the dead? (Clem never saw her parents in Savannah, but heard the phone message) Please leave a review and tell me what I could do better! (First fanfiction. Please leave a review if I should continue. Also, alert me if there is a typo)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one: Why?

Savannah, Georgia.

5:51 AM

"Clementine, baby? If you can hear this, call the police. That's 9-1-1... We love you... We love you... We love y-" An explosion was heard, and the phone call was cut off as a fiery light blasted through the air, screams, a car crashed into a telephone pole, knocking it over, and causing it to tear the rest down. Sparks flew, and more people screamed. Ed protectively shielded his wife. The streets were mayhem. People ran crazy, trying to avoid the hideous, groaning... THINGS... that plagued the streets. Every second a cry for help was cut short as their lives came to abrupt and violent end, and as their remains were eaten. Alive. Every second the death toll increased, and every second those monsters increased. Ed grabbed his wive's hand. Without doubt, fear shone in his eyes."We have to get the hell out of here, Diana! Run!" He screamed. He took a brick and hit an uncoming walker behind her, knocking it down.

Diana tried to block out what was happening around her, but the pleading voices were just to loud, to intense, that she couldn't ignore it all.

"Oh my God..." she whispered in horror.

She saw a child torn away from its mother, and the mother was eaten, alive, in front of her daughter.

"Mommy!" The child cried, reaching out. But she, to, was silenced when a walker pulled her in and-

Diana looked away, she wanted to help, but Ed wasn't letting go.

_No... Clementine... will we get to her in time? _she thought.

A walker grabbed her leg, knocking her down. She lost hold of Ed. It crawled on to her as she furiously tried to kick it off. From her vantage point, Ed was no where to be seen.

She was sure this was the end.

She shut her eye's, preparing for its teeth to sink into her face. She was praying it would be fast. Praying that-

Suddenly, though, the weight was lifted off of her.

She opened her eye's to see Ed, holding the walker by the neck in anger, and slamming its face against the ground over and over.

"Not today, motherfucker" Ed yelled as he smashed the walkers head in repeatedly. "Not today, you piece of shit! You will never touch my wife like that! You-"

"Ed! Please, its dead already! We have to move!" She pleaded. She never saw Ed in this state. It frightened her.

Ed hesitated, before pulling reluctantly pulling away. He took her hand and they began to run again.

"It tried to kill you, Diana." he said coldly.

"I know, Ed, but... that wasn't you..."

"Nothing is as it seems anymore, Diana." He muttered, shoving a walker into a wall. "We have to get to Clementine, Diana, and you know that." he said simply, running past a dying couple without batting and eye.

"We need to help them, Ed!" she said. But he didn't answer.

They rounded a corner, and they ran face to face into a walker. Groaning, it grabbed Ed on his arm and tried to bite him. Reacting fast, Ed grabbed its neck and drove it backwards against the wall. He slammed his whole body into it, mindfully keeping its gnashing teeth as far away from his face as he could. He began punching it over and over in the head until it stopped moving, only then did he finally let go.

"Ed! Come in here!"

He turned, and saw that Diana had entered a store of some sort, and was holding the door open, motioning for him to come in. He raced over, and together, they shut the door just as a horde of walkers came into the alley that they had just entered from.

"God... I think... I think we're safe..." Ed gasped, looking around him.

Diana glanced around also. They were in a small room, with a single chair and a shelf. There was a doorway that led to the rest of the store, but the door was shut. They seemed to be in a sort of security room, because of the fact that a giant window was before them, through which you could see into the next room. The next room was bigger, but yet small, and there was what seemed to be sitting area in front of a glass counter. The glass counter contained numerous shiny objects, and a radiator was just next to the counter. She turned back to Ed, who was for some odd reason staring motionless and speechless at something behind her. She was about to say something to him, picking up on his fear, when she felt something cold get pressed to the back of her neck. It was a blade, very, very sharp.

"Don't get to comfortable." a voice whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N  
><strong>**Sorry for not updating for more than a week, but i wanted to see what people thought of it. I also had serious writers block. I didn't know where to go with this story, and i actually almost quit. But now I'm trying to work out an update schedule. Also, if you hadn't caught on yet, Diana and Ed are at the same store the Lee later dies at. Thank you for the positive reviews and i promise that i'll try my best to make your time here worth it!**

**-ClementineTWDG**

Chapter Two: Help

"Get you're hands of my wife, you fucker." Ed growled. He made a move towards whoever was behind Diana, but the man whipped a gun out and put it to Diana's throat. She held her breath. The man withdrew the knife and pointed it at Ed.

"One more move and I put a bullet in her neck, you hear me?" He snapped."So whats it gonna be, both of you alive, or both of you dead? And if I were you, I'd choose my next words very carefully."

Diana flashed Ed a panicked expression. She could feel the cold muzzle of the gun on her neck, and she realized each breath she took could be her last.

Ed froze, staring at his wife.

Finally, he put his hands in the air, surrendering. He glared angrily at the man.

"Look, we meant no harm. All we want is to get home to our daughter, okay? In case you hadn't noticed, the goddamn... APOCALYPSE just happened, and people are EATING each other outside these doors" Ed said. "We just need to get home."

The man lowered the gun slightly. "You have a daughter?"

Realizing he hit a soft spot, Ed nodded.

"Whats her name?"

"Clementine."

The man hesitated. He seemed unsure of what action to take.

Finally, the man withdrew his gun from Diana's throat and backed away. As Ed raced to his wife's side, the man kept his gun trained at Ed's head.

"I have a family, too." The man said, still wary. "I have a daughter, Elizabeth and a son. My son, Adam, is missing. We're trying to find him."

Ed helped his wife to her feet. Rubbing her neck, she glanced into the next room. She saw, huddled in the corner, a woman and a little girl. The woman was shielding her daughter

The man noticed Diana, and he nodded.

"That's my family. Tess and Elizabeth. But you won't be going anywhere near them, you hear? Now, if I were you, I'd turn my ass around and exit through that door. I don't want to have to shoot you, because of your daughter. Now go."

"But we'll surely be killed!" Ed tried.

The man just glared.

Ed opened his mouth to say something, but he just nodded, backing up towards the door.

"Come on, Diana." He whispered.

She didn't move.

"Diana," He said again. "Come on, you heard him."

Then he saw what she was staring at. The little girl was crying, but not because she afraid. She was holding her side in agony. Ed noticed that blood was slowly pulsing through a wound on her side, seeping through her fingers. It was collecting in a small pool on the floor underneath her. The mother was trying to comfort her crying daughter.

"She's injured." Diana said aloud. She warily turned towards the man, who narrowed his eyes at her.

"I can help her." She said. "I'm a doctor."

Suddenly, all hostility left the mans face. He lowered his gun.

"You're a doctor?" He said, obviously in disbelief.

Nodding, Diana felt Ed place his hand on her shoulder. "Diana..." He tried.

"No, Ed, What if it was you?" She said, shrugging him off. "I'll be damned if I let a little girl die today."

The man noticed her sympathy, and he motioned for her to follow him. They entered the room, and both the little girl and the mother glared at them, uncertain.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." The man soothed, kneeling next to his crying daughter. "Daddy found you a doctor, alright? You're going to be alright."

He looked up at Ed, who was pacing behind his wife as she took a look at the girls wound.

"Try anything-" The man started.

"Yea, I know." He snapped. " 'I'll kill you and you're family' I know, so you just shut up."

The man glared.

Elizabeth whimpered as Diana kneeled next to her. Her mother glared at Diana.

"May I?" Diana asked.

When Tess made no move to stop her, Diana reached and lifted the blood-soaked part of Elizabeth's shirt to reveal that she had been shot in the abdomen. Blood was steadily pulsing through the wound. Elizabeth's eyes were glazed with fear and pain.

"She's been shot, but its not fatal." Diana inferred. "But it needs to be sterilized. And I have to remove the bullet."

"I found this first aid kit earlier, maybe it could be to some use." The woman said, reaching behind her. The little girl let out a cry when she moved, but went back to her pitiful whimpers.

Diana gave her a thankful nod, taking the kit. Opening it, she found all that she needed. There was a needle and thread, some peroxide, and tweezers. She eyed the peroxide, then back at the Elizabeth.

"This might hurt a little bit..." She said, placing a the items out in an organized fashion. "But not for long."

Diana took a clean rag from the kit and poured a little bit of peroxide over it. Then, she placed it on the wound. Elizabeth's eyes snapped wide, and she screamed. The white foam bubbled up to an incredible amount. The woman tried to hush her daughter. Diana waited a moment before reaching for the tweezer's, when-

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Shit!" The Stranger cursed. The door that they had entered from began to move slightly. Walkers had heard the girl's cries of pain and had started to knock the door down.

"There going to get in!" Ed yelled. He turned to Diana. "You better be fast, Diana!"

Diana grabbed the tweezers in her right hand and put her left hand on the girls stomach.

"Help me reinforce the door!" The stranger yelled to Ed.

The two began to push the shelf over in front of the door.

"Breathe in, honey, this might hurt." Diana said. She could clearly see the bullet and with a quick swipe she got hold of the bullet and pulled it out. Elizabeth screamed, squirming. Diana grabbed the rag and placed it over the wound. After a couple seconds, she managed to put the string into the needle and began to stitch Elizabeth's wound up. She was thrashing, flailing her arms in pain. Tess managed to hold her down whilst Diana finished stitching.

The Stranger ran over to the garage door in the back, attempting to open it.

"Ed, help me!" he yelled.

Ed wasted no time. He rushed over and took hold of the garage door. Together, they managed to break the lock and lift the door up. Ed looked underneath it. No people in sight.

"Whats the plan?" Ed demanded.

"I have a station wagon parked around the corner. hopefully." The man said. "If your fast enough, then you can come."

Diana helped Tess and Elizabeth to their feet.

"No time for bandaging. Just get her in to the car, and make sure she holds this rag to her side." She instructed. Ed raced over, and picked Elizabeth up in his arms.

"I'll carry her. Let's go." Ed said.

The Stranger gave a thankful nod towards Ed, and with that, they raced out through the half opened door.

Just like the man said, Their was a station wagon parked behind a dumpster.

There was still people screaming on the streets, but no one noticed them as they climbed in to the car.

The Stranger climbed into drivers side. Tess rushed to the passengers side, and Ed slipped Elizabeth into her lap before he climbed into the back. Diana followed shortly behind him. Slamming the door shut, Ed leaned forward and pointed to the gas pedal.

"Step on it!" He yelled.

The Stranger slammed his foot down on the pedal, and with that the car jerked forward. Diana heard Elizabeth squeal in pain as the acceleration knocked them back.

And with that, The car raced forward and disappeared around the corner.

**A/N (SORRY IF IT WAS HASTILY WRITTEN. I WANTED TO GET A NEW CHAPTER OUT THIS WEEK. SO HERE IT IS.)**


	3. Chapter 3

Ed thought they were safe now. They had escaped the god forbidden jewelry store in one piece, and they had been able to gain enough of this man's trust to ride in the car with him. Yes, things were looking up. But Ed knew that they weren't exactly best friends yet, but it was something. Only minutes ago had they escaped, and tensions were running high. The Stranger had his shoulders hunched over at the steering wheel. His wife held their daughter protectively close and was whispering comforting words in ear. Their daughter was still bleeding slightly from the wound on her side.

The streets were filled with the monsters. There was no more humans, not to be seen.

"I can't believe how fast this spread..." Diana whispered, squeezing her husbands hand.

Dead bodies lay strewn in various places along the streets. The Stranger just simply ran over the ones that appeared in his way.

A group of school children. Murdered. There corpses lay in a relatively neat pile outside of a local elementary school. As the car drove by, however, Diana saw the monsters next to the pile. Tearing apart the limp and lifeless bodies as they continued devouring them. Some of the kids weren't dead yet...

"No... God, no..." Diana muttered, in horror, as they slowly pulled away from pile of innocent children.

Ed saw the fear in her eye's. She looked up at him. Tears welling up in her eye's.

"What if... Sandra... and Clem..." She whispered, shuddering at the thought.

"That won't be Clementine, honey. Sandra has her somewhere safe, I know it. She's alright." Ed soothed, patting her on the back. She broke down in tears.

Diana couldn't process it. How could such an amazing world go to shit in less than a few days? She couldn't imagine what Clementine must've seen... If she was still alive, that is. Clementine is her life, both she and ed's, and the love they had for each other was just like every family should have. Extraordinary. She had to get home to her daughter.

"where the fuck are we going now?" Ed said, trying to change the subject. The stranger looked in surprise at Ed. Ed gave him a 'what?' look back. The man narrowed his eyes. Turning to check on his now sleeping daughter, he directed his voice to Ed.

"why? Do you plan on going somewhere important?" He said, hostility in his voice.

tensions were running high since they had left, apparently.

"Look, you don't want to make me pissed off, trust me. After that, I'm not in the best mood." Ed said, leaning forward in his seat. "We saved you're fucking daughter, so the least you could do is take us to Atlanta. Right?"

Ed clenched his fists when the stranger began laughing.

"ha! Your a real funny guy, Ed." The man said, making a fake laughing sound.

before Ed could say anything back, though, the strangers wife placed her hand on his shoulder.

"they have a point, honey." She tried. The man shrugged her off.

"they don't have goddamn anything!" He hissed, raising his voice. His daughter cringed in Tess's arms. "I'll just drop their ass's off in the middle of a damn horde the next chance I get if they don't leave me the hell alone!"

"you're one moody son of a bitch, aren't ya?" Ed muttered.

"fuck you! Your the reason we had to run, asshole!" The man screamed back."we were doing mighty find tell you and your wife sauntered in! Should of killed her right then."

"please, stop fighting!" Diana said, but to no avail. Ed was shaking with rage now, how dare this man show concern for he and his family and then just suddenly not give a crap about them? He only seemed interested in his own family, and Clementine if you think about how he reacted back there when Ed mentioned her. It wasn't right.

How could one mans emotions just go from happy to pure aggression? When he first met him, Ed thought he was a man that cared for his family. Now, he see's a very short tempered... Abusive man that was struggling to keep his sanity intact.

"I-" Ed started, but he was cut off when the station wagon slid to a sudden stop.

"what the hell?" Ed growled, before he saw.

the street was barricaded with the bodies of people. Some were even... Still alive. Wooden stakes jutted from the mass of corpses and on those sticks were... People. Impaled. Lifeless. Bleeding... But yet their reanimated corpses moved. In the left hand corner They saw some people throwing more bodies on the pile.

Diana was horrified, but Ed, oblivious to the situation, saw opputunity and rolled down his window.

"hey! Hey you! Can you help us? My wife and I are trying to get home to Atlanta, and-"

"what the hell are you doing?! Get back in here! I'm going to try to..." His voice faltered. Ed turned and realized why. Next to his window stood a man. A gun raised to the strangers face. The man looked to be in his late thirties, a brown beard covered his face and his army shirt was stained with blood. He didn't lower the gun, but kept his eye's locked on with the strangers. Several other people surrounded the car, with guns pointed at the inhabitants.

"Hello there. The names Crawford. Crawford Oberson, and welcome to my... 'Community'." He said with a small smirk.

**A/N hey guys! Yea, I think I could've done better on this chapter, like making it longer and such, but I had a bad case of writers block that I couldn't get around. I also had a hectic week, which made it harder for me to focus on my stories. But I promise the following chapters will be of better quality and I'll try to update more often.**

**anyways,**

**thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Now look, I know what it looks like, but we're not here to hurt you." Oberson said, cocking his gun. "Actually, you are the threat here. So to make this work, All I need you to do is step out of your car. No ones going to get hurt."

Ed opened his mouth to speak, but as soon as he moved, a woman with a red sweat shirt and a rather creepy looking hook thing slammed her fist on the backseat car window.

"hey! Did he TELL you to move, asshole? Sit your ass down before..."

"Molly, please. These people are our guests. It's their choice to cooperate." Oberson said, placing his hand in front of the woman named Molly. She hesitated, shaking the hand that held her hook. After a few seconds of glaring, though, she finally withdrew her hand from the car.

"please excuse my friend, Molly." Oberson said, opening the car door. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to attend to the arrival of a new shipment of people. So all I need for you-"

"people? From where?" Diana cut in. Excitement edging her voice.

oberson raised his brow in her direction. He saw that there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Why was that?

"why does that concern you?" He asked.

Then, Diana remembered something. She reached into her pocket to pull out a crumpled sheet of paper.

Unfolding it, she turned it around so that the man could see.

"what is this?"

"It's my family." She said. Ed looked over her shoulder to see that she held an image of him, Clementine and Diana together. He remembered that there was another copy at their house back in Atlanta. It sat proudly on the table next to the phone. He loved the photo. He would do anything, though, to get his family back together.

"I'm trying to get home to my daughter. The city MUST be under quarantine by now, or something like that. Her name is Clementine. Possibly this shipment could have her in it...?" She trailed off, hopefully staring at the man.

he placed his hand on his chin, as if in thought. But Ed noticed that the man kept glancing over towards Ed. Looking him up and down like some manakin at a store.

what is this mans problem?

"...yes, it's from Atlanta." He said finally.

diana practically squealed in joy, turning to Ed. She grabbed his arm and started shaking it.

"ed! Don't you see? We don't have to go to Atlanta! Clementines coming to us, you'll see! Our baby is coming home!" She said happily

Ed was not so sure.

The Molly girl was still glaring at him though the window. He tensed and flipped the bird at her.

"what the FUCK did you just do!?" She screamed, taking a step towards the car again.

_"Molly." _Oberson warned.

Elizabeth whimpered. She turned to look at her father, who was staying completly still.

"daddy, I'm scared..." She whimpered.

"it's going to be okay, Lizzy, just do what the man says." He reassured.

"God dammit. You have me." He said. He lowered his gun.

"what the hell are you doing, Crawford?" Molly asked, swinging her hook around. "You're just going to let them in like this!?"

he walked aroun the car to Diana's side. Placing his hand on it, he opened it and extended his hand.

he didn't respond to her protests.

"come with me. You can be safe in the community that we're building. We have plenty of food and medical supplies,You can be with your daughter again." He offered, motioning for the others, including Molly, to leave.

"Molly? I've heard enough out of you and your rude attitude. Please feth doctor Logan for this poor girl." He ordered, pointing towards Elizabeth. She seemed slightly offended, but she didn't say anything.

molly cursed under her breathe as she turned to enter the closest building.

Staring at the mans hand, diana hesitated, looking uncertain. There was something comforting about this man. He seemed like you could trust him. He was inviting. She felt... Safe.

"Diana..." Ed tried.

but she made up her mind. And women... They say they're doing mething, you can't talk them out of it. Ed knew this from... Experience.

diana took the mans hand and he helped her to her feet. Ed followed just behind her. Purposely brushing himself between Diana and Oberson. Oberson stumbled backward, but regained his balance just in time. He glared at Ed as Ed made his way around to the passengers side of the vehicle.

the stranger had just stepped out of the car and was now arguing with someoo was dressed his a doctors apparel.

"listen 'doctor Logan', lay one wrong tool on my daughter, and your ass is MINE!" Ed heard him hiss.

Ed rolled his eyes. The stranger can be a real bitch sometimes.

he approached the door. Placing his hand on it, he opened it and helped Tess to her feet. She grunted at the effort, holding a tired looking Elizabeth in her arms, but she managed. Once she was fully on her feet, she looked him in the eye.

"Thank you." She said, before turning to limp her way over to the stranger, who was still giving doctor Logan an earful.

as Ed watched them go, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Something that made everything that just had happened worth it.

elizabeth lifted her tired head, squinting her eyes in pain in the effort, but as soon as their eyes met, opened her teary eyes a little wider as a toothy grin found its way across her face. She smiled at him, through all those tears and pain, she _smiled _at him.

and you know what?

ed smiled back.

**A/N PLEASE alert me if there is any spelling or grammatical errors in this, I kinda got rushed due to the fact my iPad kept freezing and crashing out and deleting all my work. :( it was annoying, but I finally managed to pull it off. Here is the next chapter, and I would like to thank you all for the positive reviews. Especially you, AbsintheOfWinter. Your review made my day. :). **

**Pleas leave a review and the next chapter will be out shortly!**

**-ClementineTWDG**


	5. Chapter 5

3 MONTHS LATER.

CRAWFORD

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

4:42 pm

"Everyone, stand clear! New load of cargo!"

Diana held her husbands hand tight. Ed squeezed back as they stood watching the giant semi truck back up through Crawford's gates. The truck was found abandoned and turned on its side. It took awhile, but eventually when enough people were gathered around the truck, they managed to flip it upright. It was awhile back, right when they got there to be exact, but the truck ran like new. The mechanic had fixed it. Just a couple loose wires and crap.

But Diana didn't care. Not anymore.

She was here for one thing.

And it wasn't fucking vehicles.

"Alright! Just back it up nice and slow! Let them out!"

The truck came to a stop just outside the main part of Crawford. Near the elementary school. Then, armed guards rushed to the back and, after assuring that the truck had come to a complete stop, they opened the door.

"Why are they..?" Diana trailed off. The newly arrived group had their hands bound tightly together. They were screaming curse words at the guards, enraged. This confused Diana.

"Where are the children?" she added,

Then she realized.

Yes, she realized there wasn't any children on it.

there wasn't any ALIVE children.

"what..." Was all she could utter as she watched the last of the people unloaded and followed by... bodies. Dead bodies. Bodies of children, young teens, Older people... and people who seemed to have a physical disabilities of some sort. They were bloody, gory messes of mangled parts. Diana was speechless as she watched them as they were unloaded on carts.

"What the hell is this sick shit?!" Ed practically screamed at the people pushing the bodies. They ignored him, though. The... prisoners walked past Ed and Diana in almost absolute silence, except for a person here or there who was shedding tears.

"What happened?" Ed demanded. He put his hand on one of the people's shoulders. But to his surprise, the man responded in swinging his arms around, striking Ed across the face and making him stagger. Ed's surprised look was obvious one he regained his composure, looking at the man, he wiped blood from his aching nose.

"'What happened' says the people who just killed my fucking family! What do you goddamn THINK happened, genius?" The man spat, tugging on his restraints as he leaned towards Ed. "Your people just promised to give us food, water, shelter, then turned on us and killed anyone who couldn't look after themselves! According to your 'leader', anyone to young, to old, or have advanced medical conditions are just a waste of your goddamn supplies! That what happened, you piece of shit!"

"He did what?" Diana cut in, with the equal amount of shock on her face as Ed. "How..."

"I honestly don't see why you are so surprised!" the man yelled as he was ushered away from Ed and Diana by a couple of armed guards. "Since that's how all you live nowadays! Go to hell!"

The man was apprehended and thrown back in line with the others. As they were led away, Ed saw Oberson step out of the truck. The two made eye contact, and the look on Oberson's face confirmed it all.

Ed began storming over to Oberson.

Ed knew it. There was no sign of guilt or regret on Crawfords face.

He knew it was to late to save these innocent people's lives, but the least he could do was justify them.

"What the fuck did you DO?!" Ed yelled, bringing his hand forward and shoving Oberson up against a wall. With another burst of energy, Ed brought his fist forward and planted a punch square on to Obersons face."I know this is your doing! What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Guards yelled, racing over to Obersons aid. Body-slamming Ed, the guards managed to put him in a hammerlock on the ground. Ed struggled as Oberson stood and dusted himself off. Blood was leaking from his nose, but he payed it no heed.

"Ed!" Diana yelled. Racing towards her husband. But she was blocked by other guards.

"Let him go." Oberson ordered. The guards looked at him in surprise. "Bring him to my office in handcuffs. I'll deal with it there."

"But, sir, do you really think that's a good idea?" One guard said. "He just-"

"Let. Him. Go." Oberson demanded again.

With a frown, the lead guard pulled out a pair of metal handcuffs and forcefully placed them on Ed's wrists. Diana attempted to reach him, but several other guards held her back. Her panicked cries were drowned out by the chatter that came from the audience. The crowd that had gathered looked on. By then, Elizabeth and her father had joined the group. Elizabeth showed concern in her blue eyes.

"Daddy, what is..." The she saw the children. The piles of bodies that were strewn as they threw the corpses on the pile that blocked the entrance to Crawford. She gasped in horror, and fell back into her fathers arms. Shaking, she wept into his shoulder as he held her close.

This is what her father had tried to prevent her from seeing.

But he was to late now.

Glancing up, he saw Ed get forcefully lifted off the ground and practically dragged into a nearby building. Only then did people start clearing. some seemed like they had enjoyed what just went down.

By now, the stranger knew this place wasn't as safe as they thought it was.

And he had to get his family out of there.

_**OBERSON'S OFFICE.**_

"How long has this been going?!" Ed raged as he was led down a long hall that passed underneath the bell tower. "How long have you been KILLING innocent people? Is this who you are?"

He was answered by silence.

He glared at the back of Oberson's head in anger. The man walked with the composure as if he owned the world. Over the past months, he saw that Crawford was becoming cockier and cockier as they days went by. He insisted on having his own personal guards, his own building, his own office, his own fucking _everything._ Yet no work was getting done around here, and just recently a rule was issued that no one was allowed to leave.

"You join us you are dedicated and you _will _die here for _us. _No one else. By now, you're family is dead and there is no one out there that matters, except for us" were his rumored words.

Finally, they reached what Ed assumed to be Crawfords 'room'. A guard pulls out a key and unlocked the door for him.

"What, can't open you're own fucking door on your own?" Ed snarled, pulling at his restraints.

Oberson ignored this.

Finally, they opened the door and Ed was ushered in. He sat in a rather comfortable chair and his hands were unbound.

"I want you to know something, Ed, before you jump to conclusions."

Ed watched as Oberson motioned for the guards to leave. They hesitated, glancing uncomfortably in Ed's direction.

"I'm sure if Oberson is so fucking badass he can handle himself." Ed snapped.

The guards left with grim expressions.

The door shut, and Oberson started making his way towards Ed.

"You're fucking insane and my family and I are leaving tonight." Ed stated, standing.

But he didn't get far.

Oberson pulled out his gun and struck the back of Ed's heads so hard that Ed collapsed back in his chair. Blood welled around the gash on his head.

"Ow! Fuck!" Ed said through gritted teeth. He put his hands to his head and flinched at the pain.

This man is insane.

"Y'know, Ed. This is what I admire about you. Your... perseverance, your will to lead. I wish it didn't have to come to this." Oberson said. He took Ed by the shirt and stood him up. Ed fought back. But his head made it hard. He was dizzy, and things were slightly blurry.

"Why the fuck did you do that to those INNOCENT PEOPLE?!" Ed roared, slamming his fist against the wall. Oberson watched as Ed tried to get to his feet, but failing to do so.

"Ed, those people are a burden to our community." Oberson said, approaching Ed again. Ed had lost his balance and had fallen against a bookshelf. The books had tumbled all over the floor, making a rather large mess. Oberson stepped over some as he got closer. "If they can't last at least a day on their own in a world like this, then they ain't SHIT to us. Kill 'em! They don't deserve to live. Not in this world. Not in any other."

He brought his foot up, over Ed's arm, and brought it down with enough force to make Ed want to scream. He writhed in pain as he felt his arm get snapped in half. He saw stars and he made a feeble attempt to shove Obersons leg away, but to no avail.\

"The reason i kept you around, Ed, was because you are capable of caring for yourself. Your strong, resourcefull, intelligent, and you know how to keep a clear head when shit hits the fan. That's why I kept you around, Ed. But you're messing it up for us, and that never ends well, does it?"

Coughing, Ed held his broken arm in agony.

"Your not leaving, Ed."

His head was struck again.

Everything went black.

**HEY Guys! gosh, more than a week since I last updated. I AM SOOOOOOOOOOORRY but things happen. Anyway, I'm back now! PLEASE leave a review, and if I get enough positive feed back I'll keep this story going.  
>-ClementineTWDG<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO LEFT A REVIEW! HERE WE GO...**

**Savannah, Georgia.**

**Crawford**

**time unknown**

Ed woke to a dull throbbing pain in his head. A bright light, and surrounding him were four figures. They mingled and whispered words to each other. Confused, Ed attempted to stand, but he felt something holing him down. He let out a weird '_oof!' _sound.

"Hey, look! Diana, he's awake!" A higher voice exclaimed. One of the smaller figures raced to his side. Ed recognized the smiling face of Elizabeth. Her blue eye's shone in the dimly lit room. For there was only one light, which was directly above him. There was operating tools on the farthest wall, and Ed guessed he was in some sort of operating room.

"Really?! Oh my God... Ed, honey, are you alright?"

"I..." Ed began, trying to find the right words. His arm had a light searing pain to it, and when he moved it he flinched. Noticing this, Diana ran to his side and unhooked the buckles holding him down. He was then able to sit up, realizing that The Stranger and his wife, Tess, were in there along with them. The Stranger had a grave look on his face, staring off into the other direction.

Ed couldn't believe that after three months, he still didn't know his name. But every time he asked, he would simply tell him that its "none of your business." and leave it at that.

"wheres oberson?" He said frantically as his memory came back.

"shh! He doesn't know we're in here. He left you in the yard with a broken arm. We had to sneak you here so Diana could give you the proper treatment." Tess cut in. Elizabeth raced over in to her arms.

Ed nodded before turning to look at his arm. His blood-stained sleeve was rolled up to mid arm, and his forearm was wrapped in a coarse cloth that held his arm in a cast. It was crude and rushed work, but it did the job.

"All the good medical supplies are locked away in that safe." she whispered, gesturing behind her. Looking to his left, Ed studied the giant metallic rack with disgust.

After a few seconds of silence, he turned back to his wife. She was putting things in a bag in a hurried manner. The stranger and his wife were glancing out the hallway window for any signs of people. Elizabeth was fiddling with something black and flat. Ed realized it was a tape.

"Elizabeth, put that down." Her father scolded. She stopped and turned to her father.

"But, daddy I-" she protested.

"NOW." he snapped back.

Flinching, she sadly turned away from her fathers glare and hesitantly put the tape back on to the nearest desk.

Ed watched this before turning towards the Stranger. "Whats the plan?"

The stranger was searching the cabinets and drawers for anything useful. He looked up at Ed as he dug through a stash of paperclips.

"We're getting out of this Hell-hole. Tonight." He stated. Finding nothing, he cursed and moved onto the next drawer.

Nodding in agreement, Ed struggled but managed to stand. Diana looked like she was about to race to his side, but as soon as he regained his balance he waved her off.

"I'm fine, hon" he grunted. He didn't realize how much his leg hurt. Apparently when those guards tackled him they messed something up in his hips.

Wanting to be helpful and make her father proud of her, Ed saw Elizabeth searching the floor of the room for anything. She was tugging on a loose board behind a stack of boxes, and Ed hobbled over to her. He was rather fond of Elizabeth, mainly because of her innocent personality and how she reminded him of Clementine. God, he missed his daughter. He couldn't wait to get home.

kneeling, he put his hand on Elizabeths shoulder as she pulled on the board with all her strength.

"Watcha doing, Lizzy?" he asked. He wanted to cheer her up, considering how harsh the stranger had been moments before. You never know what mood that guy is in.

"Trying to get to this... thing." she stuttered crossly. "Its not being fair. I just want to see whats behind it."

"That could be dangerous, you know." Ed stated.

"I know, but daddy said the whole worlds dangerous now." She shrugged, taking a break from pulling on the board. "So I guess if that's what we live in now, we have to start liking it, right, Ed?"

She looked up at him with her giant blue eyes, waiting for his approval.

"Well... I guess so." he sighed. He reached over her. "Here, let me try. I don't want you getting hurt."

She backed away from him, and with one easy tug the board tore from the wall and fell to the ground. Ed didn't believe his eyes.

"Holy shit." He uttered. Backing away. "Honey, look what Elizabeth found."

There was medication, ammunition, boxes of food, bottled water and a variety of small handguns stuffed into a small space. Also beside it lay a large hunting rifle that looked fully loaded. Untouched.

"Ed, what did you..." The stranger looked in amazement at the pile of loot. "Holy fuck! This is just what we need! Tess, get the bags. We're taking this shit."

...

**Savannah, Georgia.**

**1:32 am**

**just outside the school.**

Ed struggled with the bag on his back. It had taken a couple of hours, but they had managed to get all of the supplies out of the building and into the strangers car with getting caught. How the stranger managed to recover his car without being seen was beyond Ed, but it didn't matter at this point. Even with a broken arm and a injured leg he was taking the last load to the vehicle. Diana and Tess were right behind him, each carrying a box. The stranger was waiting for them at his station wagon with Elizabeth.

"We're almost there. Hurry-" He started, but then he heard shouts from around the corner. He put his hand out behind him to stop Tess and his wife.

Creeping, he peaked around the edge of the building. He saw several armed guards fighting off a woman in a red coat. They seemed to be trying to drag something from her. A human figure was being pulled back and forth by the guards and the woman.

_Molly!_

"Let go of my sister! She's fourteen! You can't kill her just because she's diabetic! You monsters!"

The guards finally pulled the limp figure from her arms and put her in the back of a truck. Even though it was pitch black out, Ed could see the figure clear as day. Her black shirt and her short brown hair we're clearly visible in the streetlight as she was prepared to be taken away.

"No! You can't! She's all I have left! Please, No!" Molly pleaded. She didn't have her hook thing, so that why she couldn't fight back. she was caked with dirt and the tears on her face shone in the small amount of moonlight that did manage to find its way through the clouds. They banged the door shut and swiftly apprehended the crying woman.

"She's a liability." One guard said, and swiftly he brought the barrel of his AK-47 down on her head, knocking her out cold. Only then did they drag her limp body against the wall and drive away towards Obersons Office.

...

Solemnly, Ed turned the final corner and made his way to the parked station wagon. The stranger sat upright at the sight of them and raced over to his wife.

"What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asked, checking her all over as Ed put the final boxes into the back of the car.

"I'm fine, goddammit." She hissed. She pulled away and sat in the front seat. Diana followed.

"What..?" The stranger started, but Ed had had enough of that day, and he just wanted to get their asses on the open road and off this shit-ball of a place. climbing into the back alongside his wife, Tess, and a rather quite Elizabeth, he looked over his shoulder.

"Just get your goddamn lazy ass in this car and start driving."


	7. Chapter 7: Trouble

**A/N Hey guys! This chapter was so long I had to cut it in half, LOL. Anyways, i'm trying to lead up to a key turning point in the game. So i'm pretty you know where i'm getting at ;-) PM me if there is a grammatical error or a double post. If you were here since the first time i uploaded the first chapter before editing it, you'd understand :)  
>Also, I need some tips on writing emotional scenes. I've always been terrible at those, so I just wanted to ask all you experienced writers out there for you're opinions. Please PM or leave a review regarding this.<strong>

**Thanks! **

**-ClementineTWDG**

**...**

**Two and a half hours later**

**outskirts of Macon, Georgia.**

**4:06 am**

Ed had his eye's focused on the open expanse of road ahead of him. It seemed to stretch on forever, and no matter how far he would drive it would never come to an end. He felt exhaustion faintly, but he ignored it the best he could. The stranger had driven for the first half hour, but eventually he said he would pass out if he didn't get some sleep. He tried to have Tess drive from there but she denied. Ed was the only other one awake at that time, and the stranger reluctantly handed him the keys. Now, the stranger was knocked out, his mouth hanging open and everything. Ed had a hard time keeping Elizabeth from laughing.

He heard a shuffling sound next to him, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned to see Elizabeth looking through her pink backpack. His heart cringed as memories started rushing back. The backpack...

_Shutting the door behind him, Ed hid the present behind his back as he entered his house, setting his work bag down and settling himself down on the couch._

_"Clementine, come here for a minute." Ed called. No answer._

_The he remembered._

_Smiling, he fished through his bag and pulled out a black walkie-talkie. He pushed a few buttons and he heard a crackling sound. He lowered his voice._

_"This is captain D calling in for special agent Sweet Pea. Come in Sweat Pea, Over"_

_He waited. Static followed, but he knew any minute now._

_"This is Sweet Pea responding to Captain D. What is your emergency?" Clementine giggled. _

_"We have a code red, 'surprise gift' for a certain little girl named Clementine. Have you seen her?"_

_An excited squeal came from the other end, and he heard the walkie-talkie drop. _

_ He heard the sound of little feet running coming from upstairs,__ and he smiled as his daughter popped her head around the corner of the staircase. Her face lit up with an excited smile._

_"Hi, Daddy! Welcome home!" she said._

_He put his radio away and gestured for Clementine to come sit next to him. Her fluffy black hair bounced as she rushed to his side. She noticed the large bag beside him, and she furrowed her eyes in confusion. Pointing to it, she asked. "Whats that?"_

_He winked and pulled the bag onto his lap._

_"This? This is for you, Sweet Pea." he answered. "You know that we're leaving for Savannah in a couple days, right?"_

_Frowning, she looked down. "Yea..."_

_"Well, I was thinking, and I decided to get a few things before then."_

_He pulled a purple backpack out of the shopping bag and handed it to her. She squealed and clutched it close to her._

_"Wow! This is so cool, Dad!" She said._

_"Open it." He added._

_She fumbled with the zipper for a minute, which in turn brought a smile to Ed's face. She was so sweet and innocent. She reached in and pulled out Ed's purple and white baseball cap. She loved that hat, but he barely let her touch it because he was afraid she would get it dirty. But now, he knew she could handle it. He could see the awe and amazement etched on her face, but she hesitated. She looked up at her father in confusion._

_"Daddy, why is your hat in here..?" she asked, then realization dawned on her face. Ed saw the absolute happiness sparkle in her golden eyes._

_"Really? I get to borrow it?" She said ecstatically. The look of pure joy on her round face._

_"Yes." He responded. He took it from her and placed it on her head. "Now, I want you to take good care of it, okay? I know you love it, and I-oof!" he was cut off when she practically tackled him in a full-on hug. She held him tight._

'STOP, Ed, goddammit.' Ed thought, trying to stop the tears. The memory. He had to stay strong. For Diana. For Clementine...

_"I love you, daddy"_

That did it.

Sure, Ed had wanted to cry. He wanted to cry at plenty of points since this whole thing started. But each and every time he had managed to ignore it. Push it away. But that had taken a toll on him over time, and now he was suffering the consequences.

He slammed his foot on the breaks. The car jolted and skid to an absolute stop. Everyone in the car that had managed to get some shut-eye was now wide awake, and pretty stressed out to.

"What the hell, Ed? Why the fuck did you stop?!" The stranger demanded.

Ed opened his door and stormed out of the car. Then the tears came. Hell, he cried a fucking river. He collapsed on his knees and sobbed. Covering his face with his hands.

"Ed!" Diana said with concern in her voice. She raced to Ed's side. She slowed as she approached him, kneeling next to him. Hesitantly, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Sweetie... are you okay?" she asked, in a calm, soothing voice. Ed's shoulders shook.

"No." He said after a few seconds. "I'm not okay. I'm FUCKED. This whole damn world is FUCKED!"

He brushed her hand away angrily. She was taken aback by this. Then, he snatched a rock from the ground and turned. Using all his strength, he heaved it at the station wagon. It shattered on impact, and left a giant dent in the right passengers side door. Elizabeth, who was in that seat, jumped back in fear. Terror in her eyes. Tess protectively shielded her. The stranger came out and yelled at Ed. "Ed- what the fucking fuck?"

"WHY IS EVERY FUCKING THING IN THIS GODDAMN WORLD AGAINST ME!?" He screamed at the clouds

"What the FUCK is wrong with you, Ed?! Fuck, is he going crazy?" the stranger hissed.

Ed collapsed again and cried. Bawling his eyes out. No one dare came near him again.

**Later...**

"Wait, I know this place."The stranger said. Ed had since left and gone off into the forest. After awhile, he had calmed down and announced he was going on a walk. Diana allowed it, but she made him leave all weapons with her, not because she didn't trust him, but because of how he was doing emotionally, and well...

She didn't want to think about it.

Tess looked at her husband confused. Elizabeth was asleep in her arms.

"What do you mean?" she asked. The stranger was pacing back and forth as if in thought.

"Tess, shit! This is where I took Adam hunting! This is the place! Hell, we have to go looking for him! He could still be here!"

At first, Diana though Tess would oppose to this. It was crazy to Diana, but fuck, everything was crazy these days.

To Diana's surprise, Tess's face lit up with realization, and she nodded.

"Lets go then. Lets look for him. Every second counts." He took his daughter from Tess and they both ran off into the forest, calling Adams name.

that happened pretty damn fast

"God dammit..." Diana cursed, racing after them.

**EDs POV**

Staring blindly at the ground before him, Ed felt depression hitting him over and over like waves on a beach. Yea, he knew that he still didn't know if Clementine was actually dead yet, but he knew wasting three damn months on some shithouse with false promises instead of taking initiative and actually searching for her. He was disappointed in himself, and thinking about it he wondered if it was to late. Anything can happen in three all he knew she could be in some safe army base, locked up by some abusive psycho, or... A walker. He shuddered at the thought, but no tears came. It was as if he had no tears left. He already used them all.

_"Adam!" A voice yelled in the distance. "If you hear us, yell! We're coming!"_

"what's that...?" He said, looking over towards the sound. "Shit, they're gonna get us all killed!" He said in realization when he recognized the strangers voice. And they thought HE was going crazy.

he started to run. He had to stop them before the brought the entire city of Macon down on top of them.

the branches scraped at his face and the rocks and roots made him stumble. he cursed when he cut his hand on a sharp jutting rock that crossed his path. Holding his bleeding Palm, he burst into the clearing.

he saw the stranger with his hands cupped over his mouth, yelling his sons name. Tess, practically on his heels, was carrying a now wide-awake and quite unhappy Elizabeth, wondering why they wouldn't let her sleep. Then Diana burst through the brush and trees to join them. Looking just as pissed as Ed.

The stranger noticed Ed, and gave him a cold stare. "You came back. I was hoping you wouldn't."

"What the fuck is your problem? Are you that stupid? You go off like that and leave the car unattended? Full of all our SUPPLIES?!" he shoved The Stranger in anger, causing him to loose his balance and stumble into a nearby tree. But Ed didn't attempt anything more.

"I knew you would do something like that, Ed." The stranger said, climbing to his feet. Something flashed in his eyes. Revenge?

"I'm going to-"

_*beep* *beep*_

was that the car?


	8. Chapter 8: departure

**Hey guys!**

**here is the next chapter! Gah... Go ahead and rage at me in the reviews about being gone for what, 3 weeks? The first week has a very good reason, but the others... Meh. But I'm back! Next week is going to be spring break! (At least for me) and I'll get as many chapters out as I can. This weekend I'm going to the beach. Maybe they'll have wifi, maybe not. That will depend on wether or not I update, but the week is more the certain.**

**yurp. Please leave a review! I love getting those emails!**

**Macon, Georgia**

**unknown time**

Ed was fuming. His hand shook as he held his gun, his knuckles white from the tension on the handle. He knew this would happen! He spun around and stormed towards the stranger, who was standing now. But the expression on the strangers face was just as bad as Ed's.

"Now look what you did!" Ed stated angrily.

"What **I** did?!" The stranger responded aggressively.

"If you hadn't have gone to find your goddamn son-"

The stranger put his hands on Ed's chest and shoved him. This caught Ed off guard and he stumbled. Diana gasped beside him. Tess and Elizabeth looked worried, but made no move to stop him.

"The fuck?" Ed responded, but the stranger cut him off.

"Thats it, Ed. THATS IT. I offered to take you and your wife to your home in Atlanta to help you find your daughter, and all i wanted to do was find my son! And the second we try to, you're all over how fucking bad it is! You know what, fuck you and your goddamn family! We're going to get my car back, and then I'm leaving you and your crazy-ass wife!"

Ed seethed, and he pulled his gun out and pointed it at the strangers forehead.

the stranger didn't even flinch.

"don't you dare mouth off about my family, you hear me? My daughter and my wife are my LIFE, and I will end you right here, right now if you say one more thing or do anything to harm them in anyway." He threatened, his finger on the trigger.

moments of silence. The stranger kept averting his eyes between the gun and Eds angered face.

"Well?" He finally asked.

ed hesitated.

"well what?" He demanded.

the stranger looked annoyed.

"aren't you gonna shoot me? Even if you did, it wouldn't be a surprise."

"how come?" Ed asked aggressively.

The stranger smiled.

"it's a trait we both share."

a gunshot was fired.

Diana put her hands over Elizabeths eyes and shut her own.

silence.

after a moments hesitation, Diana opened her eyes.

Ed stood shaking, holing the pistol with both hands, aiming at the strangers proximity.

But in the stranger, there was no gunshot wound. But the tree behind the stranger had a large, fresh hole burrowed into its side, centimeters above his head. Just the slightest bit lower and the bullet would have penetrated his skull.

Ed hesitated, before putting the pistol back into his back pocket.

the stranger gave home a questioning look.

"that's not who I am." Ed said, turning away to face his wife. "But it sure as hell is who you are."

the stranger didn't say anything.

"now, let's go get your goddamn car back. But watch what you say. And if you give me a reason to end you, then I will take it."

The stranger stormed past Ed in anger. He headed off into the direction that their car was in. Ed didn't have time to react.

After watching him disappear into the woods, Ed turned to Tess. She was slowly inching her way to follow her husband, keeping her head down and holding elizabeth close. Ed soon realized she was crying.

Diana put her arm around Tess's shoulders, and for the first time, Tess didn't brush them away. She collapsed onto her knees and shook. She gently set Elizabeths down before covering her eyes as tears cascades in long lines down her face. Elizabeth scrambled close to her mothers side. Seeking comfort.

"what's wrong?" Diana asked softly.

"He's not the man I thought he was... At least, not anymore." Tess whispered.

Ed and Diana shared a confused look.

"before all this started, he was a kind, loving man." She continued, now staring off into space. Ed sat down near them to listen. He honestly didn't care if the stranger got killed alone or not.

"he is a father of two, he had a well paying job, and he even coached little league in his free time. But 3 months ago... When our son went missing, well... Something snapped. I think something's wrong with him in his mind. You always saw him on his best days-"

"BEST days?!" Ed scoffed.

Diana gave her husband a look that said 'shut up'

so he did.

"but those nights at Crawford... When it was just us alone..." She went on, as if not hearing Eds remark. "He was wild. He yelled, screamed, punched, kicked, cursed... And then would suddenly go calm. He said some things that he could never take back... And I can't live with that."

she turned to Diana, tears replaced by certainy and determination in her eyes.

"after that, I know for sure. I can't live with him anymore. He's a threat... And I'm leaving. And by the way he acted towards you, even if I stayed you wouldn't be with us that long. So come with me."

ed was ready to jump at the idea. He actually felt a deep concern for Tess and Elizabeth, and he felt he had to keep them safe. So he had to get them away from this man. This monster.

Diana seemed uncertain.

"but..." She said, trailing off. She honestly HATED that man, but that didn't make this right...

...did it?

"come on, Diana." Ed said, standing, he looked towards the direction that the stranger had left, and he heard cursing, banging, and the faint sound of a car trying to start.

"we have to go before he comes back." Ed contined, helping Tess and Elizabeth to their feet before turning to Diana, outstretching his hand. "It's our only chance."

diana sighed, but she took his hand and stood.

then, together without second thought, they headed off into the opposite direction. Elizabeth, confused, prodded her moms side as they walked.

"Mommy, what about daddy?"

Tess sighed sadly, but didn't respond.


End file.
